The calender turned over into October, truly the waning days of fall, and the elastic finally snapped with a vengeance sending waves of birds southward. All across the continent, from all corners of North America and many places in between, states and provinces are just covered with excellent birds. Not only is nearly every state and local listserv buzzing, but it's truly a testimony to this modern world we live in that so many of the great birds seen this week were well-photographed. As always, you can click on the names of hyperlinked reports to be taken to photos of the birds in questions. Some of them truly are spectacular.
There's one first state record this week, and another possible one. First comes North Carolina's first record of Violet-Green Swallow, an adult bird found on in suburban Orange County, of all places. Also in that state, a Bell's Vireo is reported from Hyde County.
Recently reported from Illinois is a possible Pacific Golden-Plover in De Kalb County, a potential 1st record pending Bird Record Committee review of this difficult species. Expert opinions are being solicited at the link above, go and give your $.02 if so inclined.
Less uncertain is a Green-tailed Towhee in Cook County, the first in Illinois in nearly a decade.
But it was Alaska, as it so often is in the fall, that offers arguably the most exciting birding in North America for the week that was. A veritable highway from Asia brought goodies to a couple islands, including Hawfinch (ABA Code 4), 6 Eyebrowed Thrushes (ABA Code 3) Eurasian Bullfinch (ABA Code 4) Siberian Accentor (ABA Code 4) Rustic Bunting (ABA Code 3) and Willow Warbler (ABA Code 4) to St. Paul's Island.
Gambell counters with a Siberian Accentor of its own, as well as a Dusky Thrush (ABA Code 4) and a mystery Phylloscopus warbler that's either a Willow Warbler or North America's first Chiffchaff.
The show continues farther south in British Columbia where a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (ABA Code 3) is currently present at Boundary Bay, and a remarkable inland record of Ancient Murrelet at Okanagan.
Washington also has a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (ABA Code 3), this one in Grays Harbor County. A Ruff (ABA Code 3) has also been recently reported from Thurston County.
Great birds continue all up and down California, starting with yet another Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (ABA Code 3) in Sonoma County. In the southern part of the state a Connecticut Warbler has excited birders in Ventura County, as has a Bobolink in LA County. A Ruff (ABA Code 3) was photographed in Orange County, and a Cape May Warbler is excellent in San Bernadino County.
A Streak-backed Oriole (ABA Code 4) was briefly seen at a feeder in Portal, Cochise County, Arizona.
The Tule Springs migrant trap in Clark County, Nevada, has ensnared a Blackpoll Warbler.
A Ruff (ABA Code 3) in Larimer County, Colorado is an great record for the interior of the continent.
A Brewer's Sparrow is a good bird for McCurtain County, Oklahoma, in the extreme southeastern part of the state.
The campus of Rice University in Houston, Texas, has hosted a Townsend's Warbler for the last few days.
Some exciting birds have been seen in Louisiana this week including an Ash-throated Flycatcher in Jefferson Parish, a pair of apparently wild American Flamingos (ABA Code 3) in Plaquemines Parish, a Parasitic Jaeger in the Gulf of Mexico out of Grande Isle, and a Say's Phoebe in Cameron Parish.
Multiple Say's Phoebes have been in Florida too, one in Gulf County and another in Santa Rosa County. The second is sharing real estate with an Ash-throated Flycatcher and a Fork-tailed Flycatcher (ABA Code 3). Perhaps the most exciting bird in the state, however, is Florida's 4th record of Yellow-green Vireo in Miami-Dade County.
A Western Kingbird was reported from James Island, in Charleston County, South Carolina.
A possible record of Townsend's Warbler near Knoxville, Tennessee, would be the state's 3rd, if accepted.
Last weekend, a briefly staying Fork-tailed Flycatcher (ABA Code 3) was discovered at Kiptopeke State Park, in Northhampton County, Virginia.
Birders at Cape May - where else? - found both a Swainson's Hawk and a Gray Kingbird in New Jersey. Another Black-throated Gray Warbler, apparently different from the one reported last week, was also reported at Cape May.
A second Black-throated Gray Warbler was also seen across the sound at Cape Henlopen State Park in Sussex County, Delaware.
Pennsylvania has a Northern Wheatear in Lebanon County.
In New York, a Say's Phoebe is on Long Island in Suffolk County, and a Swainson's Hawk was photographed in upstate Monroe County.
A Western Kingbird was photographed in Barnstable County, Massachusetts.
A few wild records for Maritime Canada come from Nova Scotia this week including a Purple Gallinule on Bon Portage Island, a Western Kingbird near the town of Indian Harbor, and a fantastic Baird's Sparrow near Duncan's Cove.
And on Newfoundland, the first Tufted Duck (ABA Code 3) of the season was reported near Mundy Pond, an indication that winter is well on its way.
Another Cape May Warbler was found in Arizona on October 5th, this time at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson (Pima County). There are only 11 previous records of this species in AZ, not including these two birds.
Posted by: Jeremy Medina | 10/07/2011 at 11:10 AM
I'd like to suggest a format change for the rare bird alerts. It gets awfully tedious to read a list such as species 1 (ABA Code 4), species 2 (ABA Code 3), species 3 (ABA Code 5). Perhaps a general statement could be included at the beginning such as "Numbers in parentheses following a species name indicate the ABA rarity code." Then only the number need be listed in parentheses, thus eliminating the constant repetition of the words "ABA Code."
Posted by: Terry Bronson | 10/07/2011 at 07:59 PM
Noted. It's tedious to type too. I'll try something shorter next week.
Posted by: Nate Swick | 10/07/2011 at 08:17 PM